The Proposal
by Melissa Larkin
Summary: This is a sequel to "Just Friends", set in Salem, six years later


The Proposal  
  
As Belle Black stood in front of her bedroom mirror, she could hardly believe it: she was about to graduate from college. Belle smiled at her reflection.  
  
"You, Isabella Black, are about to be a graduate of Salem University! Those four years went by so fast." Belle's gaze turned towards a picture on her dresser. It was of her and Shawn Brady, the boy she had been in love with for the past six years. Only he wasn't a boy anymore, he was a man, aged twenty-two like Belle. Shawn and Belle had declared their love for each other when they were sixteen, and had been talking about having a future together. Belle secretly hoped that a marriage proposal was in her near future. She picked up the picture of herself and Shawn and sat on her bed, staring at Shawn's smile as one broke out on her face. A knock on the door didn't break Belle's focus on the photo, and soon, her two best friends, Mimi Lockhart and Chloe Lane, entered.  
  
"Earth to Belle!" Mimi called out. Chloe laughed.  
  
"Meems, I think it's hopeless. She's staring at a photo of Shawn." Mimi walked to the bed and glanced at the photo in Belle's hands.  
  
"Yep, Chloe, you're right. She's got that lovesick look on her face." Mimi laughed and turned to Chloe. "The one you get when you talk about Philip!" Chloe playfully smacked Mimi on the arm. It was amazing that these two were even joking around like this. When Chloe had arrived in Salem several years ago, she and Mimi had become instant enemies, not friends. With Belle's guidance, and perhaps a miracle, Mimi and Chloe had grown to become good friends. When Belle wasn't walking around the Salem University campus hand-in-hand with Shawn, she and Mimi and Chloe could always be found together, laughing and sharing fun times with each other.  
  
Belle finally noticed that her two best friends were in her bedroom, and snapped her head up to look at them. "When did you guys get here?" she asked. Mimi sat next to Belle on the bed and giggled.  
  
"About five minutes ago, but you were off in Shawn-land," she teased. Belle blushed, as she sometimes did when she was teased about her relationship with Shawn.  
  
"Sorry," she murmured, her face turning as red as the shirt that Mimi was wearing. Chloe sat on the edge of her friend's bed.  
  
"It's okay, Belle," she began. "I know what it's like to be so in love. It's the best feeling in the world, isn't it?" Belle grinned widely and nodded.  
  
"It is," she agreed, as Mimi's cell phone rang. Mimi answered it quickly.  
  
"Hello...um, now's not really a good time...yeah, I'll meet you at Salem Place soon. Okay, bye." Mimi turned off her phone and looked at Belle. "I'm sorry to cut this visit short, but I have to meet a friend at Salem Place."  
  
"It's all right," Belle said. "I might stop by there later on. I want to get a new dress for graduation." Mimi turned to Chloe, a look of panic on her face. Chloe understood what Mimi meant and turned to Belle.  
  
"Belle, we have time. Graduation isn't for another two weeks," she replied. "We'll get you a dress this weekend."  
  
"I can't," Belle reminded Chloe. "I'm volunteering at the hospital all weekend."  
  
"I have to go," Mimi muttered as she grabbed her bookbag and ran out of Belle's room. Belle turned to Chloe.  
  
"That was strange. I wonder who that phone call was from?" Chloe smiled nervously and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"I'm sure it's nothing," she said. Belle nodded and rose from her bed. She went to her dresser and picked up a necklace and put it on, then applied some lipstick. "What are you doing?" Chloe asked.  
  
"I'm getting ready to go out. I told you, I need to find a dress for graduation. I don't want to wait until the last minute," Belle replied, picking up her purse. "Come on, I'll drive." Chloe knew that Belle wouldn't let her mind be changed, and quietly prayed that she wouldn't spot Mimi at Salem Place.  
  
*****************************************************************************  
  
Shawn Brady and Mimi Lockhart exited The Gift Shop, the popular jewelry store in Salem Place. They sat on a bench and Shawn took a small box out of his pocket and opened it.  
  
"Are you sure that Belle's going to like this?" he asked anxiously. Mimi looked down at the small diamond ring. She knew that Belle would love the ring the moment she saw it.  
  
"Shawn, Belle's going to be so happy that you asked her to marry you." Mimi playfully jabbed Shawn in the ribs. "It's about time!" Shawn smiled.  
  
"Hey, we promised our parents that we wouldn't make any big future plans like this until we were finished with college. That's in a couple of weeks, and then I get to give this to Belle." Shawn gazed at the engagement ring. "I can't wait to ask Belle to be my wife."  
  
"How are you going to do it? It has to be romantic," Mimi advised.  
  
"I have a plan," Shawn replied, a somewhat mischievous grin on his face.   
  
"Tell me!" Mimi shrieked. Shawn shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, Meems, but that's a secret!" Shawn smiled at Mimi again. "Thanks for helping me pick out the ring," he added, hugging Mimi. At that very second, Belle and Chloe were walking towards Ballistix and spotted Shawn and Mimi embracing. Belle, surprised at what she saw, turned to Chloe.  
  
"This was the friend that Mimi had to meet?" Chloe stammered, trying to find an explanation for what Belle had seen.  
  
"Um, maybe they just ran into each other?" Belle looked at Chloe.   
  
"You didn't want me to come here today. Did you know that Mimi was meeting Shawn? And why was she so secretive about it?" Chloe refused to meet Belle's gaze, and Belle frowned. "Chloe, come on! What are you guys keeping from me?" Chloe stayed silent, not wanting to ruin Shawn's surprise, and Belle grew angrier. "Fine, don't tell me Chloe. Some friend you are." Belle looked over at Shawn and Mimi. "I thought you were all my friends. I was wrong." Belle ran off, feeling hurt and upset and betrayed.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Belle sat on her bed that night, fighting back tears, when the phone rang. She picked it up on impulse.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Belle, it's me," Shawn began. "Please don't hang up. Chloe told me that you saw me at Salem Place." Belle narrowed her eyes.  
  
"You weren't alone," she shot at Shawn. "You were with my so-called best friend Mimi."  
  
"Yes, I was. But it's not what you think." Belle laughed sarcastically.  
  
"I wonder how many girls have heard that line and believed it. Luckily I won't be one of them. Good-bye, Shawn." Belle slammed down the phone, buried her face into her pillow, and sobbed.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Belle walked down the stairs to the living room later on that day. Her older brother, Brady, got up to meet her.  
  
"Shawn called before, and asked me to give this message to you," Brady said, handing Belle a piece of paper. She read the message aloud.  
  
"Meet me at the park at sunset. I'll explain everything, just please be there." Belle crumpled up the paper and tossed it in a nearby wastebasket. "I don't want to hear what lies he has to tell me." Belle flopped onto the sofa, her arms folded. Brady sat across from her.  
  
"He sounded really bad when I talked to him," Brady informed Belle. "If I were you, I would go see him." Belle had always trusted Brady's advice and looked up at him.  
  
"Do you really think I should?" she asked hesitantly. Brady nodded.  
  
"Yeah, get out of here," he said with a smile. Belle hugged Brady and went to the stairs. "I thought you were going to meet Shawn?"  
  
"I want to get changed first," Belle said. "Thanks, Brady." Brady waved and smiled as Belle ran up the stairs.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Belle walked around Salem Park, looking for Shawn. She had mixed emotions about their upcoming meeting. Part of her was still terribly hurt by the fact that Shawn, Mimi, and Chloe had kept something from her. The other part didn't want her relationship with Shawn to end. They had been through so much together, and were so in love with each other. Belle knew in her heart that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Shawn.  
  
As she turned a corner, Belle found Shawn. She gasped in surprise at what she saw: a romantic picnic set for two. Shawn had gone all out, complete with candles, a bottle of wine, and a bouquet of pink roses, which were Belle's favorite flowers. Belle pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at her longtime love.  
  
"What is this?" she asked softly. Shawn approached Belle hesitantly, remembering their earlier conversation.   
  
"It's what I've been planning all along, with the help of Mimi and Chloe," Shawn said, and looked in Belle's eyes. "We weren't being deceptive, Belle. They're your best friends and they wanted to help me with something very important."  
  
"What is it?" Belle asked breathlessly, hoping in her heart that it would be what she had been dreaming about.  
  
"This," Shawn began, taking a small box out of his pocket and getting down on one knee. He took Belle's left hand and looked into her eyes again. "Belle Black, I love you more than words can say. You make me laugh, you just make me happy. I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you've made me." Belle felt tears of joy stinging her eyes. Shawn took a deep breath. "Belle, will you marry me?" The tears fell down Belle's cheeks.  
  
"Yes. Shawn Brady, yes, I will marry you!" Shawn's hands shook with excitement as he placed the diamond engagement ring on Belle's finger. He rose from the ground and embraced Belle. They shared a passionate kiss and then Shawn lead his love to the picnic he had carefully planned.  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened before," he said, pouring a glass of wine and handing it to Belle. She replied by kissing him and stroking his face.  
  
"Sweetie, it's all right. I don't know why I acted that way." Belle stared at her ring. "This is so beautiful. I love it." She looked at Shawn. "And I love you."  
  
"I love you, too, Belle Black," Shawn replied, and they kissed.  
  
"Soon to be Belle Brady," Belle responded. Shawn wrapped his arms around his soon-to-be-wife and they watched the sun set over Salem, the young lovers planning their future together.  
  
****The End****  
  



End file.
